SOS Surf

SOS Surf SOS Surf - your go-to destination for surf gear and stoke in North Devon.

Run by a passionate team of ocean lovers, we're dedicated to providing top-quality surfboards, wetsuits,apparel that stand up to the elements.

⚫️

You Should’ve Been Here
07/06/2026

You Should’ve Been Here

05/06/2026

Friday 5th June surf check, Westward Ho!

⚫️

⚫️
05/06/2026

⚫️

What a day.A huge thank you to everyone who came along to our first Vintage Surfboard Meet at SOS Surf.Old friends, new ...
31/05/2026

What a day.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to our first Vintage Surfboard Meet at SOS Surf.

Old friends, new faces, collectors, surfers, families, curious passers by and everyone who stopped for a chat, shared a story or brought along a board. You made the day what it was.

From rare longboards and classic single fins to boards packed with history, it was brilliant seeing so many incredible shapes lined up outside the shop and hearing the stories behind them.

Special thanks to everyone who displayed boards, travelled across the country to be here and helped create such a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere throughout the day. And to Charlie who helped us organise everything!

Huge congratulations to Joseph, who walked away with the incredible BOS x SOS collaboration surfboard package, including accessories, after winning our raffle. We hope it brings you years of great waves.

Days like this remind us that surfing has always been about more than waves. It’s about community, friendships, stories and a shared love of the culture.

We’re already talking about the next one.

Thank you again from all of us at SOS Surf.

⚫️

Big Love 🤙

Songs that remind us of surf trips, old vans, sun-faded stickers, morning coffees, late nights & early tides. Hit...
30/05/2026

Songs that remind us of surf trips, old vans, sun-faded stickers, morning coffees, late nights & early tides. Hit ▶️, Tag, Save & Share. X

Collector Spotlight. Simon Dean.Simon Dean has spent the last 25 years quietly building one of the most interesting coll...
29/05/2026

Collector Spotlight. Simon Dean.

Simon Dean has spent the last 25 years quietly building one of the most interesting collections of true Hawaiian shaped surfcraft you’re likely to find in the UK.

And it all started with a football injury.

Growing up in landlocked Leicester, Simon played football at a high level into his late twenties. During a spell on the sidelines, he took a road trip to Newquay, hired a surfboard, and never really looked back.

The old surf lodge years followed.

Rockit.
Backpackers on Headland Road.
St Christopher’s.

Sleeping cheap. Scraping together petrol money. Heading west every chance he got just to surf.

Fourteen years ago, Simon relocated to North Devon and later ran the surf lodge in Croyde during a career break, surrounded by boards, waves and travelling surfers for several years before the lodge was eventually sold on.

At one point, the collection became slightly ridiculous by his own admission.

But while plenty of boards have come and gone, the focus became sharper after his honeymoon to Hawaii in 2011.

That trip sparked an obsession with genuine Hawaiian shaped boards and personal rider history.

The kind of surfcraft that rarely appears in the UK.

And Simon has found some serious gold over the years.

A Derek Ho personal rider.
A Brock Little personal rider.
An early Larry Bertlemann shaped twin fin from before the famous Pepsi swirl era.
A Rawson Sunset gun.
And plenty more besides.

The boards tell stories far bigger than foam and fibreglass.

You can feel the North Shore influence running through the collection. Heavy water, Hawaiian lines, raw surfing history.

Simon also runs the Vintage Surfboard UK page.

Meet Simon at:

Golden Bay Board Revival
Sunday 31 May
SOS Surf, Westward Ho!
10am to 4pm

Rare boards. Real collectors. Rad surf history.

⚫️

Collector Spotlight. Charlie’s 1968 Tiki rarity.Some boards are rare.Some boards tell stories.This one does both.Charlie...
28/05/2026

Collector Spotlight. Charlie’s 1968 Tiki rarity.

Some boards are rare.
Some boards tell stories.
This one does both.

Charlie is bringing an absolute gem to the Golden Bay Board Revival. A 1968 Tiki shaped by Keith Paull, one of the most fascinating crossover pieces in British surfboard history.

And yes, it really does say “Abergavenny, England.”

A beautifully preserved 7’10” x 22½” x 2¾” transitional shape with smooth round rails, a seriously usable outline, and a fin that can only be described as outrageous in the best possible way.

This is not a restored show pony. This is the real thing.

Original.
Unmolested.
Close to 60 years old.

It had just one owner from new, saw very light use, then spent around 40 years in storage. Which explains why it remains in such incredible condition today.

The board was shaped in 1968 by Keith Paull shortly after winning the Australian Surfing Championships. During a short visit to Europe, he shaped a tiny number of boards for Tiki. Around ten, by the records.

That makes this one exceptionally rare.

It was built using a stringerless Castle Foam blank, Tiki’s own in-house foam, made beside Abergavenny Castle in what can only be described as gloriously improvised conditions.

Back then, moulds were apparently held together with wooden blocks jammed against the shed roof. As pressure built inside, the moulds would literally lift the roof by a few inches.

Different times.

And then there’s the label.

Collectors always stop at the wording:
“Abergavenny, England.”

That wasn’t a mistake.

Before 1972, Abergavenny sat in a curious historical grey area before officially becoming recognised as part of Wales.

A tiny detail. A brilliant timestamp.

Charlie’s bringing a true rarity. One of those boards that rewards a closer look… and then probably another.

Golden Bay Board Revival
Sunday 31 May
SOS Surf, Westward Ho!
10am to 4pm

Rare boards. Big stories. Surf history up close.

⚫️

Collector Spotlight. A rare beast from Woolacombe.Matty is bringing something seriously special to the Golden Bay Board ...
26/05/2026

Collector Spotlight. A rare beast from Woolacombe.

Matty is bringing something seriously special to the Golden Bay Board Revival this Sunday.

A Tony Cope Competition Model West Coast, shaped in Devon and carrying all the hallmarks of a fascinating era in British surfboard design.

Even among seasoned collectors, this one raised eyebrows.

Charlie’s immediate response? “That’s a rare beast.”
Steve’s? “I’ve not seen it before.”

And Matty himself believes this may be the board’s first ever appearance at a British surfboard collectors meet.

That alone makes it worth seeing.

Built under the West Coast Surfboards label in Woolacombe, Devon, this is a nice slice of British surf history. A time when UK surfboard building had its own identity, its own style, and its own fiercely local characters shaping boards for real waves.

What makes this one even more intriguing is the detail.

A textured deck. Surprisingly lightweight construction. A beautiful mid-length outline that still looks like it would absolutely fly.

In Matty’s words:
“Always thought it would probably surf well. Lovely mid-length shape which feels great under the arm.”

That line says everything.

Some boards become museum pieces. Others still whisper that they want to be ridden.
Yes, there’s a little delamination. That comes with age. But that patina is part of the story, not a flaw.
This board has clearly lived.

Burnt orange resin.
Clean, purposeful lines.
Single fin simplicity.
Pure function.

The kind of board that stops people mid-conversation and for collectors, this is catnip, for surfers, it’s a reminder of a time when design experimentation was everywhere, and boards were built with personality.

See it this Sunday.

Golden Bay Board Revival
SOS Surf, Westward Ho!
Sunday 31 May
10am to 4pm

Rare boards. Great people. Proper surf heritage

⚫️

Seen the swell and desperate to get out only to find your wetsuit is not up to it? We’ve got you all covered.
22/05/2026

Seen the swell and desperate to get out only to find your wetsuit is not up to it? We’ve got you all covered.

Address

SOS Surf Shop, Golf Links Road
Westward Ho
EX391LH

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+447983783365

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SOS Surf posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to SOS Surf:

Shortcuts

Share